The Return of Cat Assassin
by Fredd8
Summary: Xiao has trouble sleeping; the Cat Assassin has orders to eliminate him. This is before season 8.


A scream almost escaped his throat, but Xiao stifled it in time. He sat up in his bed and tried to brush off the streaming tears that were running down his face in torrents.

Every... single... night.

In his nightmares, Xiao had to watch the only friend that really understood him sacrifice himself to save Planet Xing, over and over again, yet he couldn't do anything about it.

He got up slowly and walked to the window opposite his bed, opening it to get a breath of fresh air. He knew the others were worried about him, but he didn't want to give them all the more reason to do so. He always acted tough in front of the Doctor and his siblings, but he wasn't sure they were convinced.

Kalo's death had saddened many people, but Xiao was affected greatly. He could still remember how they first met. Of course, back then, Kalo tried to kill him...

* * *

><p>"You know your orders. Eliminate Xiao, and show him no mercy."<p>

The Prussian blue cat looked at the Commander of Planet Hui on a screen projector shining from his collar, his expression unreadable. He nodded once, and the commander logged off.

The Cat Assassin had spent a long time in hiding. If the soldiers of Planet Hui got to him, there was no question of what they would do to him, especially when they had many ways of capturing him before he could touch them. Sadly, after a long period of hiding, they had finally caught up with him. Luckily they didn't seem to notice that he had disobeyed orders. They had just assumed that he was delayed.

He thought back to the time when Xiao found him, badly injured and half-dead by the roadside after he was run over by a car. Despite his cat allergies, Xiao took the cat home and nursed it back to health, sometimes going so far to letting the cat sleep with him, risking his own health. He began to have second thoughts about his job.

He hardened his heart. There was definitely no going back now. He had let his guard down once, and showed weakness by freeing Xiao's friends from their frozen state. This won't happen again. He would complete his job and win favour with the Commander once more.

* * *

><p>Xiao now had trouble sleeping. He was afraid that if he got back under the covers and shut his eyes he would see the dying form of his friend just before he exploded into energy particles.<p>

Climbing out of his window, he dropped gracefully to the ground outside his house. He would take a walk, he decided.

* * *

><p>The Cat Assassin arrived at the Heroes' home. He knew the way, for he had been there before. He knew exactly where Xiao's room was too. He got in through an open window of Xiao's bedroom, planning to kill him in his sleep, but found the covers empty.<p>

He searched everywhere with amazing stealth but found nothing. Disappointed, he left. That was when he saw his target a few miles away, walking in an empty park.

Smiling devilishly, Cat Assassin crept towards the unsuspecting Xiao.

* * *

><p>Xiao was just walking aimlessly around and around the park when he caught a whiff of an unwelcoming smell. He sneezed violently and rubbed his runny nose while he looked around. Images of the Cat Ambassador handing him a special bowl of 'Eastern-Western medicine' flashed through his mind suddenly and he felt goose bumps on his skin. He gave a faint shudder before sneezing again.<p>

There was definitely a cat hiding behind those trash cans. Before he could leave, a dark shadow jumped from the bins and landed in front of Xiao. He quickly covered his nose when he recognised the silhouette of a cat. It took him a while to notice that it wasn't moving away, which was strange for cats. And when he did, he recognised the cat.

"...You!" he said in disbelief. The cat flew towards him with sharp claws but he accidently let out a giant sneeze and sent the cat flying backwards.

The Cat Assassin snarled and lunged at Xiao again. Xiao dodged and the Cat Assassin flew past him and hit a lamppost. Xiao slowly walked towards the Cat Assassin.

Strangely, Xiao did not attack. He just held out his hand like he used to when they fought like this a few years ago. The Cat Assassin was in a dilemma now. Should he follow the Commander's orders and kill Xiao like he was supposed to to pay him for his kindness for saving his life?

Xiao, on his part, also had mixed feelings. Part of him wanted to kill the cat for no reason other than the fact that he knew how to, and the other part of him wanted to make friends with the Cat Assassin again. He chose the latter and held out his hand towards the cat.

The Cat Assassin sprang at Xiao-

Xiao felt the cat settle in his arms. He felt a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time spreading across himself. He sneezed a few times but he did not mind.

Later, when he lay in his bed again with his surgical mask on and the cat curled up next to him, he smiled for the first time in two months since Kalo died. With his old friend beside him, he slept the rest of the night away without a single nightmare.

The Assassin Cat knew he did the right thing. Being with Xiao who always welcomed him with open arms was better than the Commander who always took his servants for granted.

* * *

><p>"...A...a...a...a cat is in Xiao's bed!" Chu stammered as he ran down the next morning. He had gone up to check on why Xiao hadn't awakened yet and saw the Assassin Cat by Xiao's bedside.<p>

The four heroes ventured into Xiao's room to chase the cat away when Xiao suddenly woke.

"Morning." Xiao said, oblivious to what his siblings were about to do. He gave them a small grin when he removed his mask and took the cat down with him,sneezing, while the heroes watched him in surprise.


End file.
